Homepage title tag: "Keywords for robots" vs "Phrases for users"

[vtmoz]

Hi all,

We keep on listening and going through the articles that "Google is all about user" and people suggesting to just think about users but not search engine bots. I have gone through the title tags of all our competitors websites. Almost everybody directly targeted primary and secondary keywords and few more even. We have written a very good phrase as definite title tag for users beginning with keyword. But we are not getting ranked well comparing to the less optimised or backlinked websites.

Two things here to mention is

1. our title tag is almost 2 years old.

2. Title tag begins with secondary keyword with primary keyword like "seo google" is secondary keyword and "seo" is primary keyword". Do I need to completely focus on only primary keyword to rank for it?

Thanks

[EGOL]

I used to write title tags that contained the proper keywords.  I used to be a keyword stuffer.

More recently, I have started trying to write title tags with my main keyword on the left but the remainder of the title tag has been written to present a value proposition, share something interesting or simply elicit the click.   These types of title tags will not blast your page to the top of the SERPs, but I believe that if you do a good job, your page will slowly and steadily climb the SERPs to a position where it is competitive.

I also try to make the description as interesting and clickable as possible.  I think that google places more importance on how visitors react with your listing in the SERPs and if you can deliver what will hold them if they click into your website.

[Tenlo]

Title Tags are very low on the list for ranking on keywords, you will want to look at other factors to determine why they are ranking and you are not, such as domain age, page copy and image relevance etc.